Customer Reviews

Millennium Bell

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This CD was not exactly what I expected. Other reviews and the liner notes had led me to believe that this album would survey the last 1000 years' worth of musical styles, but it doesn't really do that. Yes, there are several different styles represented, but they stem primarily from the past 100 years and important musical styles (e.g., Renaissance) are left out. So if you're expecting this CD to encompass a millennium of music, you will probably be disappointed. But if you buy it because you are a Mike Oldfield fan (or fan of New Age music in general), you will be pleased. Despite representing quite distinct musical styles, the tracks flow seamlessly together. Two of the tracks (Doge's Palace and Millennium Bell) have an irresistible beat, and the Millenium Bell track in particular proves that Mike Oldfield can do Techno better than the Techno artists can. For the first two months we had this CD, whenever that song came on, everybody in my family--myself, my husband, 5 year old, and the 2 year old, even--stopped what we were doing and danced madly to it. It is an album you can play over and over and not tire of it. It is not Mike Oldfield's best album (I save that honor for "Songs of Distant Earth" and "Voyager"), but I would count it in his top five.

I've been an Oldfield 'fan' for ten years now, which is quite long for my age, at 25. My personal favorite though of his late music is TBII & Songs from distant earth, both which I found truly masterpieces. Not forgetting his early work, I still listen to TB, Hergest Ridge, Ommadawn with the volume up loud alot. Millenium Bell... When I bought it (probably the first one here in Iceland) I thought myself hmm, yet another version of Tubular Bells... but with liking of Tubular Bells I, II & III, I thought it can't be all bad.... After the first listening round I found it okay, nothing really speciall but not bad... This album was so unlike Oldfield that I was quite surprized. I kept it in my CD player and let it play for some days... and guess what... I love it, it grows so much on you. There are many really nice songs on this CD, and then I'm first going to mention the cream of it all: Broad Sunlight Uplands! It's one of the most beautiful pieces I listen to, (except mabie Etude... but that isn't fair) So calm, easy going melody but yet so emotional. And then there's Lake Constant. Full of hope... There's only one song which I don't like alot on this CD, that's Mastermind, found it okay at first but got tired. The rest really grows on you.

It seems as though Mike Oldfield has several distinct musical personas that come through him: my favorite pieces are the weird, otherworldly things like TB, Amarok, Ommadawn,...these seem to express something musically, without seeming as though they were written FOR a certain market.
I've found that anything Mike has written with a disco beat, (including much of this cd) feels as though he is trying to get club play time rather than expressing some of his fascinating musical ideas.
This cd, were it by any other artist, would be considered to be quite good, but if you're looking for that vintage oldfield weird stuff, you'll be disappointed.
That said, there are several peices that are pretty good, a few that I hate, but I have not yet played it enough to "let it grow" on me. But hey, its mike, and I'll give it a chance.

Much of this music is very different from previous Oldfield styles, which is what makes Mike Oldfield's music so much fun. Who wants the same thing all of the time. Some of the lyrics get very churchy, but the music is definitely worth repeated listening. Peace on Earth and Pacha Mama are masterpieces, and Amber light and the Millennium Bell give the CD a great finish. The various rhythms will make you want to dance, and have a majestic sound that makes you want to hear them again and again. I listen to this CD almost every morning while I eat breakfast and get ready for work. Then, I listen to the music on the way to work. It is great music for distance travel.
Linda Day

First, if you don't have the original Tubular Bells, the remainder (Tubular II and III, the latter on import only like Millennium Bell) do not mean as much. Mike has worked with these movements over the past quarter century. The original piece seems to have evolved further and further until we reach this CD. The first 2 "bells" were mostly bereft of lyrics, while Tubular III moved more into actual pop songs along with the types of movements found on most "Bells." This CD is just as wonderful as the other Bells but the liner notes are very interesting reading to go along with the great movements seen here. The pieces can actually put you into other worlds. I'm a huge Mike fan and this is one CD I really enjoy for his classical side. Personally, I really like his pop stuff more....

Here, Mike attempts a Herculean task: sum up the previous two thousand years in ten songs. It's a good try, but falls a little short. He also displays a bias towards the twentieth century--tracks seven through ten take place in the last eighty years. I'm sorry, but there are many events and people he skipped along the way--Galileo? Shakespeare? The Revolutionary War? The fall of Rome? The Middle Ages? Feudal Japan? The album opens well enough, with the beautiful "Peace on Earth," a song that's begging for airplay during the Christmas season. The vocals are enchanting, with the lovely voice of Camilla Darlow in the lead.

But the second song, "Pacha Mama," a tribute to the Incan culture, features an annoyingly repetitive refrain and grows tiresome quickly. Even the presence of "Adiemus" vocalist Miriam Stockley doesn't help.

Next comes "Santa Maria," a quiet, serene tribute to the voyage of Columbus. Again, Camilla Darlow's vocals are a treat.

"Sunlight shining through cloud," is a look at both slavery and the story behind the song "Amazing Grace." The spoken lyrics are unwelcome when compared to the beauty of the Grant Gospel Choir's vocals. If only Mike had left out the spoken parts...this would have been wonderful.

Initially, I liked "The Doge's Palace," with its Renaissance feel and rapid pace, but WHY did Mike feel the need to randomly incorporate the names of three magistrates into the song? Why not something in Latin/Gregorian chant, to complement the music?

"Lake Constance" is a nice but unmemorable instrumental.

"Mastermind," concerning the 1920s gangsters, is all at once hip, eerie, and sinister; it captures the feel of the period very well, with clever use of instrumental highlights.

"Broad sunlit uplands" and "Liberation", both World War Two-era pieces, aren't bad, and I like the idea of Mike's daughter reading passages from Anne Frank's diary in the latter, but the musical parts fall frustratingly short of really standing out.

"Amber light" proved to be my favorite, a wonderful blend of chant (a South African dialect) and sweeping instrumentals that conveyed hope for the future. Other artists have tried this style, with mixed success; Mike makes it work, and work well. A real treat, and in my opinion, the best song on the album.

The tital track finale was a real disappointment. It is simply a remixed rehash of the previous tracks with a club beat, and not very interesting. I wish Mike had composed an original piece for the send-off, perhaps a long multi-instrumental piece like "Far above the clouds" (from Tubular Bells III) or "The Bell" from TB II.

Overall, this was a disappointment for me, but there are enough highlights to make it worthwhile.

the concept of a Musical journey through whole history was very good.but it is hard to fit it in 40 minutes long CD.and it is hard to do it with the lack of inspiration...
While "Peace on earth" and "Pacha mama" are a typical new-age Oldfield tunes "Santa maria" is a horrible copy of Vangelis "1491" soundtrack style.the choirs and pathetic atmosphere can make you laugh."Liberation" is an Enya/amarok rip-off."Sunlight shining through clouds" is a normal pop song","Broad sunlit uplands" and "Amber light" are boring instrumentals...What is wrong with you Mike?
somehow Mike made a several enjoyable songs like funny James Bond flavoured "Mastermind",great dance tracks like "The millenium bell" and "Doges palace".these ones along with "Pacha mama" are worth for buying whole album.But please do not expect the music with class of "Songs of the distant earth" or "Tubular bells".the album is like a collection of various tracks - each one is not fitting to the other.sadly,it's a dissapointment that it camed from such a talented and versatile composer like Oldfield.

Mike has come full circle with this release!From our father of New Age music comes this rather distinct and epic collection of songs chronicling the last thousand years complete with the ultimate dance track to round out the eclectic array of musical material which showcases Oldfield's talent as a serious composer. Just listen to his brillant and beautiful elegy for World War 2(Broad sunlit Uplands) and feel the power of a musical genius at his classical peak!

I thought this CD was one of Michael's best. It was different but then that is why I am still an Oldfield fan after almost 30 years. I particularly liked the way he used the tracks as a history of man/woman, finishing off with an enjoyable finale. It will never be my favorite Mike Oldfield CD (Ommadawn has that honour) but I will never grow tired of listening to it either.

Regardless of whether or not you are a Mike Oldfield fan there is no denying that this is a fabulous C.D. Mike has once again managed to combine many styles of music and emotions into one exciting piece of work. As I write this review, this is the third time today that I am listening to the C.D. I have also taped it so that I can listen to it in my car this afternoon. Hooked or what ! "Mastermind" is one of my many favourites and should the powers to be who make the James Bond movies ever listen to it, they should surely make it their next theme song.